A nest holding up to 5,000 of England's rarest ants has been stolen from a nature reserve in south Devon, the last place in England where the species survives, the Devon Wildlife Trust has said. Conservation researchers found the nest of narrow-headed ants had been dug up during regular checks in mid-October, leaving a hole and "clear signs of digging with a spade," the charity said. The theft has been reported to Devon and Cornwall police.
The trust said the nest was taken from Chudleigh Knighton Heath nature reserve, and that a single nest can hold a colony of between 1,000 and 5,000 ants along with one or more breeding queens, which can live for up to 25 years.
Narrow-headed ants, named for the distinctive "pinched" look of their heads, were once widespread across southern England's heathlands, but their numbers have shrunk over the past 100 years because of habitat loss from agricultural change and building developments. They are classified as a section 41 species, nationally rare, and near threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list.
Stephen Hussey, from DWT, said whoever stole the nest knew what they were looking for and would have needed "prior knowledge" of ant colonies to locate it. He said it was difficult to speculate on motives, but it could have been an attempt to "rewild" nature by placing the ants back in former habitats, or the ants could have been taken by an insect collector. "It's still a reckless act because you need a degree of expertise to move ants and prepare new homes for them," he said. "We have ambitions to move some of the nests to new sites, but that will take a great deal of conservation effort, so relocating one nest to a new site isn't likely to be very successful."
Julia Balfour, DWT's species recovery officer for narrow-headed ants, called the removal a "significant loss." "Narrow-headed ant colonies develop slowly, and each mature nest, with its long-lived queens, represents many years of growth that cannot quickly be replaced," she said. "This is a crime every bit as serious as illegal raids on wild bird eggs. It shows the pressures that our nature and wild places are under." She added: "This is the last population of narrow-headed ants in England, and losing even one colony sets back years of careful work by our staff, volunteers and partners."
It is against the law to deliberately disturb or remove material from a nature reserve. PC Lucy Wyatt, of the rural affairs team, said: "Sites of special scientific interest are legally protected and it is a criminal offence for any person to intentionally or recklessly damage, destroy, or disturb the protected area." Police are asking the public to report information about the theft through the Devon and Cornwall police website. DWT said it was reviewing security at the reserve and would continue its regular ant checks.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The nest comes from the only remaining population of narrow-headed ants in England, and losing a mature colony can set back years of conservation work.
- A single stolen nest can contain up to 5,000 ants and long-lived breeding queens, making it a significant part of the species' remaining population.
- The theft highlights pressures on protected sites and may be linked to insect collecting or what Devon Wildlife Trust described as a misguided rewilding attempt.
Background
Narrow-headed ants are a nationally rare heathland species. They were once widespread in southern England but declined over the past century as agricultural change and building development destroyed their habitat. They are protected as a section 41 species and listed as near threatened on the IUCN red list.
Key Perspectives
Devon Wildlife Trust: says the theft is a "significant loss" and a crime as serious as illegal raids on wild bird eggs, and that relocating a nest without expertise is unlikely to succeed.
Stephen Hussey, DWT: says whoever took the nest had "prior knowledge" of ant colonies, and suggests the motive could have been an attempt to "rewild" the species or an insect collector, though it remains a "reckless act."
Devon and Cornwall police: says protected sites are legally protected and it is a criminal offence to intentionally or recklessly damage, destroy or disturb them. It is asking the public for information.
What to Watch
- Whether the police appeal brings forward information, with reports able to be made through the Devon and Cornwall police website.
- Whether DWT's security review leads to extra protection for the remaining nests at Chudleigh Knighton Heath.
- Whether further nests are targeted while the trust continues its regular ant checks.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedA nest containing up to 5,000 narrow-headed ants was stolen.World news | The Guardian: “A nest containing up to 5,000 of England’s rarest ant species has been stolen from a nature reserve”
- SupportedThe nest was stolen from the last place in England where the species survives.World news | The Guardian: “Chudleigh Knighton Heath nature reserve in south Devon, which is the last place in England where the species still exists.”
- SupportedResearchers found a hole and “clear signs of digging with a spade”.World news | The Guardian: “who found a hole where a known nest had been and “clear signs of digging with a spade”.”
- SupportedResearchers discovered the nest had been dug up during regular checks in mid-October.World news | The Guardian: “DWT said the theft was discovered by conservation researchers carrying out regular checks in mid-October”
- SupportedThe theft was reported to Devon and Cornwall police.World news | The Guardian: “The theft has been reported to Devon and Cornwall police.”
- SupportedA single nest can hold 1,000 to 5,000 ants.World news | The Guardian: “A single nest can hold a colony of between 1,000 and 5,000 ants”
- SupportedBreeding queens in a nest can live for up to 25 years.World news | The Guardian: “along with one or more breeding queens, which can live for up to 25 years.”
- SupportedStephen Hussey said the thief would have needed “prior knowledge” of ant colonies to find the nest.World news | The Guardian: “would have needed “prior knowledge” of ant colonies to be able to locate the nest.”
- SupportedHussey said the theft could have been an attempt to “rewild” nature by returning the ants to former habitats, or the ants could have been taken by an insect collector.World news | The Guardian: “it could have been an attempt to “rewild” nature by placing the ants back in their former habitats. ... Another possibility was that the ants had been taken by an insect collector, he added.”
- SupportedHussey called the act reckless and said moving ants requires expertise.World news | The Guardian: ““It’s still a reckless act because you need a degree of expertise to move ants and prepare new homes for them,” he said.”
- SupportedJulia Balfour called the removal a “significant loss”.World news | The Guardian: “Julia Balfour, species recovery officer for narrow-headed ants at DWT, said that the removal was a “significant loss” for the species.”
- SupportedPC Lucy Wyatt said intentionally or recklessly damaging, destroying or disturbing a protected site is a criminal offence.World news | The Guardian: “it is a criminal offence for any person to intentionally or recklessly damage, destroy, or disturb the protected area.”
